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Sikholars 2012 presentation videos available online

May 23, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Jakara Movement, one of the sponsors of the Sikholars Sikh Graduate Conference (that I have written about often), is providing videos of this year’s presentations that took place during the conference in Hayward, California back in February. Having attended each of the first three, I am a big fan of the Sikholars conference. It is not only a showcase of what Sikhs are achieving in the academic world and their expertise in a variety of fields, but the conference also […]

Categories: Events • Tags: Jakara Movement, Sikholars

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Reward increased to $35,000 in Balbir Singh Dhami murder case

May 22, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Last year, Balbir Singh Dhami was shot and killed at his home in Sacramento, California. To date, no one has been arrested for the murder. It was announced today that the reward for tips that lead to the arrest of the suspect has been increased to $35,000 : Friends and family of a man killed inside his Sacramento home last year said they are adding $10,000 to the $25,000 reward they had already offered. Sacramento police said Balbir Dhami was […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: Balbir Singh Dhami, California, murder, Sacramento, Sacramento Police Department

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Is Washington, D.C.’s Fojol Bros. food-truck racist?

May 22, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The Washington Post discusses the Fojol Bros. food-trucks in Washington, D.C.: As of Friday, more than 950 people had signed the petition, many expressing outrage over the cultural insensitivity of Fojol employees, who wear turbans and fake bushy mustaches and assume mythical personas from the lands of “Merlindia” and “Benethiopia” — all while peddling dishes inspired by the cuisines of India, Ethiopia and Thailand. Despite the criticism, the founder of the business, Justin Vitarello, seems unapologetic about the use of […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: "Washington, D.C.", Fojol Bros, Food truck, Washington Post

An excerpt from "The PhD in Facial Hair" (source: onlinephd.org)

The Weekly Beard! for May 21, 2012

May 21, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

This week, we have a pro-beard analysis from the “PhD in Facial Hair“. An excerpt: Much more beardly goodness is below.

Categories: The Weekly Beard • Tags: PhD in Facial Hair

A recent tweet by Phil Bailey, a political director of South Carolina's Senate Democratic Caucus (source: buzzfeed.com)

Nikki Haley as “the Sikh Jesus”. Who should be more offended?

May 18, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The saga involving one-time Sikh Nikki Haley, Governor of South Carolina, and the perceptions of her ethnic and religious history still continues: Who should be more offended at the mockery: Sikhs or Christians? Phil Bailey is a political director in the state of South Carolina’s Democratic Party, and made the comment above publicly on his Twitter account: The political director of South Carolina’s Senate Democratic Caucus labeled Nikki Haley the “Sikh Jesus” after she intervened to aid the Republican primary […]

Categories: News Bits, Politics • Tags: Jake Knotts, Nikki Haley, Phil Bailey, Sikh Jesus, South Carolina, Twitter

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CA Workplace Religious Freedom Act heading to Assembly vote

May 17, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The proposed Workplace Religious Freedom Act (AB1964) in California (discussed previously on this blog), sponsored by the Sikh Coalition, cleared its third milestone when it was approved by the California Assembly Appropriations Committee yesterday. AB1964 makes more clear the requirement of employers to accommodate the religious articles of faith of employees, and is meant to reduce discriminatory practices in the workplace. This issue has a direct bearing on Sikhs, who often face employment discrimination based on their articles of faith […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Politics • Tags: AB1964, California, California State Assembly, Mariko Yamada, Sikh Coalition, Workplace Religious Freedom Act

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Washington, DC Police to accommodate observant Sikhs

May 16, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. will soon make an accommodation to allow observant Sikhs to serve: The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund says [D.C. Police Chief Cathy] Lanier will announce an executive order Wednesday that eases uniform and appearance rules for Sikhs. Observant Sikhs generally wear turbans and do not cut their hair, and a policy change will permit them to maintain their appearance. Despite the long history of Sikhs serving in military and law enforcement […]

Categories: Civil Rights, News Bits • Tags: "Washington, Cathy Lanier, D.C.", Jasjit Singh Jaggi, Metropolitan Police Department, SALDEF, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund

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Jasmeet Kaur Ahuja, recipient of Soros Fellowship, talks about her motivations

May 16, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Her parents are orthodox Sikhs, she said. “But I never heard them saying anything bad about other faiths and traditions. I never forgot that I am a Sikh American with roots in Punjab. But I am an American, too and that is why I must serve America.” — Jasmeet Kaur Ahuja, a recipient of 2012 Soros Fellowship for New Americans award, talks about her motivations to pursue law and for her advocacy of Sikh American issues.

Categories: Civil Rights, Profiles • Tags: Jasmeet Ahuja, Jasmeet Kaur Ahuja, Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans

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Picture of the Day: The mosaic artwork of NY artist Harjeet Singh Sandhu

May 15, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Harjeet Singh Sandhu owns a sign-making business in New York, but his passion is his art: Sandhu, a 63-year old artist and signmaker in the Bronx, has crafted an artful mosaic portrait of Mayor Bloomberg that he wants to present to Hizzoner. “He is my mayor,” Sandhu said. “Some things he does, sometimes people don’t like it. But I think what he does for the city is very good.” It took Sandhu five months of carefully crafting each piece of […]

Categories: Art, Picture of the Day • Tags: Bronx, Harjeet Singh Sandhu, Michael Bloomberg, New York

Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Author Archives: Rupinder Mohan Singh

Sikholars 2012 presentation videos available online

Reward increased to $35,000 in Balbir Singh Dhami murder case

Is Washington, D.C.’s Fojol Bros. food-truck racist?

The Weekly Beard! for May 21, 2012

Nikki Haley as “the Sikh Jesus”. Who should be more offended?

CA Workplace Religious Freedom Act heading to Assembly vote

Washington, DC Police to accommodate observant Sikhs

Jasmeet Kaur Ahuja, recipient of Soros Fellowship, talks about her motivations

Picture of the Day: The mosaic artwork of NY artist Harjeet Singh Sandhu